Diamonds are no longer a girl's best friend....

[jerry611]

To any single guys out there....you may want to do some research before you buy that diamond necklace for your girlfriend. According to a study done by the Oxygen Network, 3 out of 4 women say they would rather have a plasma TV than a diamond necklace. By a similar margin, women would rather have a top of the line cell phone rather than designer shoes and an iPod over a black dress.

"The findings suggest advertisers need to address a broad audience and not talk down to women. Advertisers are best served communicating lifestyle benefits of tech products by showing what's useful about them, rather than focusing on specifications, Oxygen says."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20060801/tc_usatoday/studywomenliketechtoysmorethanshoes

[Captain Hilts]

1. Diamond industry makes slaves of a lot of people and millionaires

of a handful. Why do people still buy those things?

[ThomCat]

8. That is a very good question. Nobody NEEDS to own

a diamond. Ever.

[jerry611]

9. Do people need to own a plasma TV?

They are both just a matter of want...

[Captain Hilts]

19. Plasma TVs aren't the product of a cruel monopoly. nt

[wicket]

29. Ever seen this happen to someone over a plasma TV:

[Clark2008]

12. I'd make an exception for an engagement ring because

of the sentimental tradition, but I'll agree with you on the overuse of diamonds in general.

My husband bought me a car (and the diamond engagement ring). I don't watch television and I don't wear all that much jewelry. A car is a MUCH better gift than either a necklace OR a TV for me. :7

[uncertainty1999]

36. try conflict-free CANADIAN diamonds n/t

[LisaM]

In other words, bring on the throwaway vanity items

forget about something that might appreciate in value. I personally have issues with how diamonds are mined these days, and don't buy them, but I think this is symptomatic of our whole society.

[Skidmore]

5. Somehow throwaway vanity items seem to be appropriate given

that we practice serial monogamy and divorce rates are so high. A plasma teevee is useful and can be taken with you. What are you going to do with a diamond that has lots of sentimental or not memories associated with it?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

22. My ex-girlfriend took the large engagement ring from her failed marriage

and put the diamonds into assorted pieces of jewelery that she wanted. We actually have matching diamond nose studs. I still wear mine, even though we're long broken up because it's a nice custom piece of body jewelery. Most nose studs are made very cheap with fake stones that fall out. It's the only diamond I own. Man, her ex-husband would be shocked to know where it wound up.

[liberalhistorian]

2. Well, I'd rather have good old

jewelry, but there sure ain't much chance of that anytime at all in my future. SIGH.

[sallyseven]

3. Second paragraph is correct. first one is nuts.

[idgiehkt]

7. not for me

I want all the tech stuff. I want the i pod. I don't want a plasma tv, I want a laptop. If someone buys me a diamond ring when I need a new clutch put in my car and new tires, I'll kill them.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. Not for me either..

I am a woman who couldn't give a shit about things like diamond necklaces or fancy shoes or other "suitable girly" presents.

I turned 46 in June. And what did I get for my birthday? A 10" Ryobi table saw, something I have wanted for years.

Any man who would try to give me diamonds as a present doesn't know me at ALL. :D

[devilgrrl]

4. In other words.... BUY MORE STUFF!!!!!!!

Consume!

[NewJeffCT]

6. A diamond will still be around in 50 years...

How long will a plasma TV last? Maybe 5 years? And, then the next generation of TV for another 5-7 years, and then the next and the next.

[Tsiyu]

10. Personally, this girl would prefer a chainsaw

or power tools.

This OP is good news, though, since there is blood on many diamonds these days.

[Skidmore]

14. I'd settle for a geothermal system installed in my home.

A geothermal system lasts forever.

[Tsiyu]

18. See, that's a gift that keeps on giving!

Does it cost more than three month's salary, though? :hi:

[Skidmore]

26. Yup. And your fiancee will be suitably impressed.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

15. I recently got a chainsaw....

a little electric model for cutting up small, fallen trees for my Mom to burn during winter.

Using it was fun -- dangerous feeling -- but lots of fun! :D

[Tsiyu]

17. Someone stole mine

It's a loooooong story, but I'm hoping by Christmas someone gets the hint and I get a new one.

I've got tons of White Oak here and I'm ready to do some pole building! Noisy work but it is fun! :)

[antigone382]

24. yeah yeah, we'll see.

:P

[Tsiyu]

25. Hey!

We're actually on DU at the same time! You're not hogging my computer!

(You know, Girl, we could put into action our plan to take over the Lounge now! shhhhhh!) :hi:

[Greyhound]

13. Diamonds are worthless, incredibly common, and a prime example

of how a cartel can manipulate markets.

Leave aside the fact that DeBeers is second only to arms dealers in inflicting untold suffering and misery, there are so many high quality diamonds already mined that, if they were ever released onto the market you could buy them for pennies a carat.

In fact, when the soviet union collapsed, DeBeers ponied up over a billion dollars to prevent Gorbachev from selling Russia's horde on the open market to raise the desperately needed hard currency.

[Captain Hilts]

21. They have some industrial value. In drill bits, for example. nt

[Greyhound]

30. Exactly! We use them all over because they are very useful and very

common, so why the big bucks to buy them? Simply that most people have been brainwashed to believe they are valuable.

[stellanoir]

16. There are more diamonds on the planet than there are

rubies, emeralds, or sapphires yet they are considerably less expensive due to the DeBeers cartel's manipulation of the diamond market.

I always wonder why when there 60 zillion flavors available most women could allow themselves to be convinced that vanilla was the best.

If one ascribes to the energetic influence of stones, diamonds are random intensifiers and when worn by less than enlightened people, they often tend to make those individuals more greedy. . .a heck of a way to start a marriage.

The enslavement of kids in the mines is something that no one could support if they only they were made more aware of it.

[Clark2008]

23. Oooohhh - I love emeralds better.

I like green and emeralds are my son's birthstone.

[NYCGirl]

28. Rubies for me.

[antigone382]

20. I don't want either.

They're both exorbitantly expensive, essentially useless products that contribute nothing to your quality of life. If someone wants to spend thousands of dollars on something for me (not that anyone does, :() I'd rather it be something that will actually improve my life in some significant way besides giving me a shiny status symbol to play with and parade around.

[guinivere]

27. As un-PC as it may sound

I would much prefer the shoes, a nice little black dress and a diamond ring.

[jerry611]

32. The study didn't say ALL women

Some women will still rather have the shoes, dress, and diamonds.

I know one woman that spends way too much money on her hair and loves shoes and fashion stuff...

Its a metter of personal taste I guess... The purpose of the study was to show that women are becoming more interested in electronics. And advertising may soon start to become less male-oriented in that category of products.

[misternormal]

31. How about a full tank of gas??? n/t

[prole_for_peace]

33. blood diamonds...

i do not own and do not want to own any diamonds. i would rather have a cz any day. cheaper and i don't have to worry about where it came from.

one of my co-workers was mentioning jewelry and asked if my pendant was diamond. and i told her that it wasn't and why i am against purchasing diamonds. no one in the room had heard of blood or conflict diamonds. of course i had to educate them.

[MrSlayer]

34. A BJ is still a man's best friend.

We are really low maintenance.

[cynatnite]

35. Hubby knows the way to my heart is a gadget...

computer related stuff gets me lovey dovey :)

I have to admit when he came home with a dozen long stemmed roses out of the blue a few months ago, I was lovey doveying all over the place.

Diamonds are so not me.

[PassingFair]

37. No engagement ring for me....

When my fiance asked if I wanted to pick out
my own ring, it dawned on me that as a married
couple, "WE" would be paying for the ring.

I decided that "WE" would be MUCH better off
putting that money into a down payment on a
house. I have NEVER regretted it.

I have diamonds that have been given to me
by family members. I don't generally wear
them.

That said, I DO admire beautiful gem stones
and am not shy about telling other women
how gorgeous THEIR rings are. To each his own....

[cynatnite]

38. We've been married for 19 years and do not wear rings...

Hubby lost his finger because of his wedding band some years ago and mine started turning my finger funny colors after I got pregnant. It still does if I put it on. So we just don't bother with them.

We never got an engagement ring either. I told him I wanted to spend the money on a BBQ for all our friends and he was great with that.